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Samedi
The Samedi bloodline has a relatively short but immensely curious history within kindred society. Centered mostly in the Caribbean, the bloodline's members all seem to resemble a zombie or a corpse. Unlike the Nosferatu, who merely become disfigured, the body of the Samedi appears to be in a constant state of decay. Social interactions often fail miserably, as do attempts to integrate into mortal society. Rotting chunks of flesh fall off of their bodies with increasing frequency as they age, and the smell of death clings to them wherever they roam. Bloodline Weakness: Due to the horrific nature of the Samedi they, like the Nosferatu, can not take the Appearance focus. Disciplines: Fortitude, Obfuscate, Thanatosis History The common knowledge among the Kindred is that the clan seems to have originated in the Caribbean, the Samedi have strong ties to the region's voodoo legacies. They practice a unique Discipline called Thanatosis that actually allows them to manipulate the energies of death, albeit in a much more temporal manner than Giovanni Necromancy. To the great annoyance of the Giovanni the Samedi practice Necromancy like themselves, though neither are willing to mention where they came by such teaching. Indeed, the Giovanni have very little good to say about the Samedi, and the enmity between these Kindred runs deep. Some Kindred believe that the Samedi are the result of a vile Giovanni experiment gone wrong, while other vampires attribute darker origins to the Stiffs. Still other Kindred believe that the Samedi are a derelict offshoot of the Nosferatu – one that should have been stillborn. The true history of Samedi starts with the now seemingly extinct Cappadocian Clan. The Cappadocians were scholars of Death and their clan curse was to resemble a newly dead corpse. After some time a few members of the clan, called Infitiores, began to suffer a more extreme version of that curse, looking like rotting corpses rather than fresh ones. These vampires were a breach of the masquerade and most often destroyed, some proved their worth and were allowed to remain in secret after making an arrangement with the Nosferatu to learn Obfuscate. This lasted until the Giovanni betrayed the Cappadocian clan and diablerized it's founder. All Cappadocians were then to be exterminated, some though escaped the purge and fled to the far side of the earth. A good majority made it to the new world, after a few hundred years their curse had gotten so bad they no longer resembled the fleeing Cappadocians and re-emerged as the Samedi clan. The leader of clan, a Kindred named "The Baron" made an arrangement with Augustus Giovanni, a deal that Augustus didn't care for but begrudgingly agreed to. No one knows what The Baron has on Augustus, but the elder Giovanni decreed for the clan to ignore the Samedi as much as possible. This is no way made the Giovanni and Samedi friends, but it did prevent open warfare. The Samedi as a clan have existed for 250 years and no Samedi will admit to being any older than that, although there are rumors among the Kindred of some that are far older. These rumors of course are true but no Samedi will admit it, as if it became common knowledge of their origins the entire clan would be at risk. The younger members of clan are made aware of the clans secret origins once they reach a certain level of trust. Final Nights The clan has spread slowly across the globe, though they remain quite small in number. Most progeny are picked from mortals obsessed with death and dying. Those who worked in the mortuary field during their mortal lives appear to be very common, and many members of the clan seem to possess some sort of tranquility with their own mortality. Culture Samedi often involve themselves with occult or illegal activities in a city, becoming powerful houngans and mambos or trafficking with superstitious immigrant criminal elements. Given their apparent voodoo roots, the Samedi seem content to garner influence in immigrant ghettos, practicing their dark magic and preying upon a populace used to the dead walking among them. The Samedi are also notorious assassins and mercenaries, and it is for this reason that many Camarilla princes turn a blind eye to them in spite of their almost Masquerade-threatening involvement with the kine around them. For the most part, the Samedi keep to themselves, and a prince never knows when she may need an ally with "special" abilities. The Stiffs seem to hold the Nosferatu and Giovanni in some inscrutable esteem (or dread), though, as they are hesitant to take out contracts on Kindred of these clans without just cause or considerable payment. Embraces Samedi typically Embrace those with a penchant for death, a trait that follows them into undeath. Many Samedi favor Mental Attributes and Knowledges while the martial, mercenary members of the bloodline cultivate Physical Attributes and Skills or Talents. Samedi rarely have Herd, Mentor or Resource Backgrounds. A significant percentage of the Samedi bloodline, particularly the older members, practices the Discipline of Necromancy but it is unknown precisely where they would have come across this knowledge, as they appear to be on very poor terms with the Giovanni. Organization The Samedi very rarely congregate as a clan, and those chance occurrences where they meet are merely informal gatherings of two or three members who gossip and then go their separate ways. Members of this bloodline are often very solitary in nature, and they don't often seek out companionship. A few turbulent rumors sweep through Kindred society about secret cabals of Samedi gathering in graveyards, but none of these rumors have been substantiated. Those lucky enough to have actually conversed with a member of this bloodline often recall a certain wisdom and intelligence within them that otherwise would have been overlooked or dismissed outright. While obsessed with death, most of these vampires still seem to possess a wisdom that betrays their short existence. However, there is more to the Samedi bloodline than a loose associate of witch-doctors and death cultists. The bloodline is insular and secretive; many times, its members often keep their affairs private from even other members, suggesting that they have something other than common interests. A few Samedi are known to be members of the Camarilla or the Sabbat, but these offer those sects little information on others of their kind. Arguably the most powerful member of the bloodline, the vampire known only as The Baron, suggests that the Samedi have a greater role in the Kindred's history and future than most vampires suspect. What that may be, the Baron refuses to specify, dismissing further questions with a wave of his rotting hand.